Email still remains one of the most effective tools for businesses to communicate with customers and colleagues. But what happens if some of your employees don’t have email? After all, so many organizations have both desk-based and deskless employees. How do you bridge the gap and provide inclusive communication? The answer is omnichannel communication, a great marketing strategy originally developed for effective interaction with customers.
In today’s global workforce, 80% of global workers and nearly 100% of shift workers are deskless. The dynamic between desk-based and field-based deskless employees remains a priority for organizations seeking to foster cohesion and efficiency. The omnichannel approach bridges the gap between these two segments of the workforce. This blog post highlights the power of omnichannel communication to create a work environment where every employee, regardless of their role or location, thrives.
Omnichannel Communication: The Advantage
The concept of omnichannel communication goes beyond mere communication. It’s about providing a holistic experience that goes beyond physical boundaries. Through using advanced technology, organizations can create an environment where both desked and deskless employees can access the same information, resources, and opportunities with ease. This concept of unity is the heart of omni communications—the idea that every member of the team is on the same page, contributing to a shared vision.
A survey by Accenture found that 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognize, remember, and provide them with relevant offers and recommendations. Nearly three-quarters of consumers (73%) said that no retailer or service provider ever communicated with them in a way that felt too personalized. The same applies to employees.
Empowering Engagement by Redefining Communication
A remarkable outcome of embracing omnichannel communication is the reduction of traditional email overload. A recent study of more than 2,000 people revealed that 68% believe the amount of emails they send and receive has increased over the past three years. According to a McKinsey report, the average professional spends 28% of the workday reading and answering emails. That equates to a staggering 2.6 hours spent and 120 messages received per day. People have to sort through inboxes for all communications. This makes it much harder for important messages to be communicated and stifles productivity.
By transitioning to interactive channels including targeted emails, people will be able to access their communications on their preferred platform. The omnichannel experience is about meeting your employees where they are. When people are more engaged with their job, they will engage more with their communications.
The advantage lies in the consistent and personalized experience delivered across all touchpoints. It enables people to use their favorite channels without losing context. This not only fosters convenience but also builds stronger relationships as they feel understood and valued.
Cerkl’s omnichannel capability allows all channels to communicate with each other. When an employee views something in one channel, it is removed from the other channels. So when they check other channels, they see new but relevant material. This reduces “noise” for the employees and allows them to engage with more content.
Employees, accustomed to user-friendly interfaces outside the workplace, naturally gravitate towards omni communications tools that mirror themselves. If they have communication channels that they engage with more and prefer, then they will have a better employee experience. For example, 87% of Slack users say the channel-based messaging platform improves communication and organization in business.
Best Practices of Omnichannel Communication
Recently, Cerkl CEO Tarek Kamil spoke at a conference with Anthony Bolton, Senior Manager | Employee Communications, Events and Brand at Gulfstream Aerospace. Anthony has had the unique challenge of building and executing a strategic communications plan for an aircraft manufacturing company of nearly 20,000 employees, the vast majority of whom are deskless. Reaching an audience with that makeup may seem daunting. After all, it’s hard enough to reach desk-based employees, but even harder to reach deskless workers. While digital communications help in this task, it’s not the end all be all. It takes a bit more finesse and intentionality to reach both desked and deskless employees.
So, how did they accomplish this achievement?
They set out to achieve a lofty goal of allowing all employees, no matter what their hierarchy in the organization, the ability to “stay informed, anytime, anywhere.” With lots of backing from leadership, Anthony and his team of innovative communicators deployed My News, a feature that personalizes content for every employee at any location – with or without a desk. It uses an omnichannel communications approach, so employees aren’t seeing the same content when they open up various channels of communication. By sending this to all the channels of communication they could access, it also maximized the reach of employees who may not have had email.
This shows that a mobile app is a great way to reach deskless employees. The lesson is that when deskless or remote employees check their email, new relevant content will be there rather than the content they have already viewed on the employee communication app.
Why Gulfstream Succeeded
Tarek Kamil adds that another important component of their communication and engagement success is how they socialized the new communication strategy.
They did an excellent job of communicating how their ‘new modern communications experience’ would improve the lives of their employees and why it is important. When employees understand the goals and strategy of leadership, they are more likely to adopt new practices. Socialization is an important part of successful implementation of new communication strategies.
To that end, they used a variety of socialization strategies to encourage mobile app adoption such as printed materials, booths at employee engagement events, giveaways, and more. This has led to a 200% increase in adoption in just the past 6 months.
It certainly is a success story of note!
Leveraging Omnichannel Communication Platform
Addressing the challenge of reaching hard-to-engage employees is essential in the hybrid workforce. Omni communications offers an excellent solution. With the power of an omnichannel communication platform, organizations can tap into alternative strategies. Mobile apps, internal social networks, and push notifications create a web of connectivity, ensuring that every employee—regardless of their location or the channels available to them—feels included and informed.
Ultimately, the key to effective omnichannel communication lies in the strategic implementation of an omnichannel communication platform. This platform seamlessly integrates diverse communication channels, transforming them into one ecosystem that works for everyone. More importantly, it ensures that every employee is part of the conversation, eradicating silos and boosting collaboration.
To successfully implement and harness the power of omnichannel communications, businesses must adopt a well-rounded approach. It should prioritize seamless communications and engagement. Understanding user preferences, behaviors, and channel usage patterns lays the foundation for effective implementation. Selecting relevant communication channels based on this analysis ensures that resources are invested where they matter most.
Ensuring content consistency across channels, along with personalized messaging, builds familiarity and trust within omni communications. Implementing tools for cross-channel continuity, real-time responsiveness, and efficient query resolution guarantees a smooth and positive experience. Regularly monitoring analytics and seeking customer feedback enables refinement of the strategy, ultimately driving enhanced engagement and loyalty.
Embracing the Future of Connectivity
Omnichannel communication is an approach that has the potential to transform organizational dynamics. At its core, it’s about unity—the unison of desked and deskless employees, brought together by a shared omnichannel communication platform. It connects all workers no matter where they work or what communication channels they prefer.
Embrace the power of omni communications and shape an environment where every employee’s voice is heard, and every role contributes to your organization’s success.
What’s Next?
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FAQ
Omnichannel communication refers to a seamless, integrated approach where communicators interact with employees across various channels, such as Sharepoint, email, mobile app, and Slack. These channels provide consistent and personalized experiences. This strategy aims to enhance engagement and satisfaction by maintaining a unified presence across all touchpoints. The process reduces “noise” for employees and empowers them to use whichever channel they prefer.
In the healthcare industry, there are many desk-based and deskless employees. Reaching every employee through email is unreasonable. Healthcare communicators use omnichannel communication to ensure open enrollment information reaches every employee, regardless of their desk status. Some employees read the content on the mobile app, some through Microsoft Teams, and some through email. Every employee uses their preferred channel to receive information, ensuring important information is communicated throughout the entire organization. Once read, the content is removed from other channels, allowing the employee to engage with other relevant content.
An omnichannel communication strategy is a comprehensive approach that integrates various communication channels, creating an omnichannel communication platform. It focuses on seamless transitions between channels, enabling employees (if used in-house) to engage effortlessly while maintaining a cohesive brand presence. Data from each touchpoint is utilized to tailor interactions and improve employee satisfaction and engagement throughout their journey.
